


The Spaces Between Us

by Ricky B (littletoes101)



Series: Soul Eater 2: Before the Beginning [3]
Category: Soul Eater
Genre: M/M, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-07 20:38:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12240231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littletoes101/pseuds/Ricky%20B
Summary: Just a series of drabbles taking place in the same universe as "Before the Beginning." Some things you won't get to see in the fics themselves.





	1. Life

**Author's Note:**

> So I was really excited to write this so I went ahead and wrote it! In case you haven't read "Stitches" yet, Stein is trans in this.

**Drabble 1 – Life**

 

It takes a _lot_ of convincing for Spirit not to carry Stein back home after the incident in class. Stein keeps insisting he’s fine, even though he stumbles a little as they walk back to the patch-work house. Spirit keeps an arm firmly around Stein’s waist, and every now and again his thumb returns to rub gentle circles on the meister’s stomach.

Stein almost fumbles to unlock the door, and as soon as they cross the threshold and shut the door behind them, everything changes.

Spirit puts his hands on Stein’s waist and pulls him close, leaning in and resting his forehead on his shoulder, lips pressed to his collarbone. Stein lets out a sound that’s half-amused and half-irritated. He opens his mouth, as if to say something, but then Spirit drops to his knees abruptly and pushes his cheek against Stein’s still-flat stomach.

“Oh my _God_ ,” he finally says, voice filled with wonder. “We’re having a baby.”

Stein grins and huffs at the same time. “Yes. We’ve established that, Spirit.”

One of the weapon’s hands moves from Stein’s waist to lay flat against his stomach. “Just six months left, oh my _God_ and I didn’t even _notice_...” Spirit trails off. “Kami and I knew so fast, now it feels like we don’t have any _time_...”

“We have plenty of time,” Stein says. He reaches down to thread his fingers between strands of red hair. “We’ll be fine.” He’s not sure if he’s saying it more for himself, or more for Spirit.

“You’ll have to take leave off from work,” Spirit murmurs. His lips are pressed against the meister’s stomach now as he trails kisses down to his hip. “We don’t need you getting stressed.”

“I’ll be fine,” Stein repeats. “ _We’ll_ be fine. If you think you’re keeping me cooped up here for the next six months, you’ve got another thing coming.”

Spirit chuckles softly. “I just want you somewhere I’ll know you’ll be safe. I don’t want you lifting a finger through this, you hear?”

Stein considers protesting again, but now Spirit’s mouth is against his belt buckle, so he doesn’t say anything.


	2. Word Drabbles #1-25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One-word prompt drabbles for Spirit and Stein.

_Sparkle_

Now whenever Spirit looks at Stein, his eyes seem to sparkle with the light of the sun. Stein does his best to brush it off, to make it seem like he doesn’t really care, but he can’t do that, really. Spirit has always had that affect on him.

_Incandescent_

“Maka was right,” Spirit says one day, his face pressed against Stein’s chest so that his words are muffled. He pulls his face away for a few moments so that he can smile up at Stein. “You _are_ glowing.”

“Shut up,” Stein teases, pushing against Spirit’s shoulder.

_Grateful_

“Morning sickness rough on you, huh?” Spirit asks, crouching down beside Stein. The silver-haired meister is slumped over the toilet, glasses off, staring at Spirit with unmistakable resentment in his eyes.

“This is all your fault.”

He’s still grateful when Spirit is there to hold his hair back and rub his shoulders.

_Tearful_

Spirit comes home bleeding one day. It’s just a small cut on his face, and he holds Stein as the man leans against him, sobs wracking his body.

“Don’t you dare ever think about leaving me,” Stein rasps. “ _Ever._ You can’t. I won’t let you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Spirit says, stroking his hair.

He tells himself it’s the hormones.

_Mate_

“Maybe we’re just soulmates,” Spirit suggests when he and Stein get to talking about things from the past. Their separation, mostly. “Bound to be together.”

“You must really be stupid if you believe that,” Stein laughs, but he moves closer to Spirit anyway.

_Helpless_

“You know I’m not helpless,” Stein mumbles as Spirit carries him to bed.

“Oh, _believe_ me, I know,” Spirit replies. “And I’ve got the scars to prove it.”

_Weight_

Spirit groans as Stein settles his full weight on him, leaning against him on the couch. “Geez, you’re getting heavy.”

“Are you trying to say I’m getting fat?” Stein asks, though there’s a playful note to his tone. Spirit, of course, doesn’t pick up on it.

“Well – no – I just meant – well, you _are_ gaining weight but – that’s not bad –”

“Spirit.” Stein says, putting a finger over Spirit’s lips. “Hush.”

_Receive_

“Hey Stein, I’ve got something for you.”

Stein turns to face Spirit, who is looking rather bashful. “What is it?”

Spirit gets down on one knee.

_Crack_

The mirror in the bathroom has long been replaced, but sometimes, if Stein looks closely, he swears he can see minute cracks in the wall behind it, a relic of a time not long ago when he was someone else.

_Strange_

“You’re so weird,” Spirit says as Stein shakes the can of spray cheese and puts a good helping of it on top of the Hershey bar he’s just unwrapped.

“My cravings are strange, get used to it,” Stein replies nonchalantly as he takes a bite out of the aforementioned bar. “They’re going to be around for a while.”

“Eugh.”

_Beef_

Stein wakes up one afternoon just as Spirit is coming home, bags of groceries in his arms. He walks out of the room, rubbing sleep from his eyes, deciding to forgo his glasses for now.

“Spirit,” he says, noticing the weapon preparing the stove. “You know you can’t cook. What’re you doing?”

“I’m going to make you a hamburger,” Spirit replies simply. “And you’re going to like it, so there!”

It ends up coming out a little burnt, but it’s the thought that counts.

_Press_

Some days Stein longs for the press of Spirit’s body against his back as they lay in the bed. He longs for it the most when Spirit isn’t there, off on some mission or looking after Maka.

_Heat_

Weapons are always hotter than meisters, so when the months start to turn cold Stein finds himself seeking out Spirit’s heat in more ways than one.

_Low_

It seems odd that Stein would be the person Spirit goes to when he’s feeling low, but that’s because all he has to do is curl up in Stein’s lap and the meister knows what to do.

_Dinner_

“Can you believe it? My little Maka is actually coming over for dinner!” Spirit coos as he tucks his shirt in.

“You know, she’s probably coming over to check on me more than you,” Stein laughs.

Spirit’s reaction at least gives Stein some entertainment.

_Sick_

The worst part about being sick and pregnant: no medicine.

The best part about being sick and pregnant: Spirit’s cuddles are probably better than any over the counter medication Stein could get.

_Obtainable_

Once upon a time, all of Spirit’s dreams seemed so far away.

Now, standing at the altar, holding the hands of the man he really loves, all of those dreams seem so very close, obtainable, just within reach.

_Rhythm_

The rhythm of the music flows through both of them as they dance. They’re the only ones on the floor, sharing their first dance as a married couple.

“You’ve always loved this song,” Spirit says, resting a hand on Stein’s hip. “Ever since it came out. Remember?”

_**And I don’t want the world to see me,** _

‘ _ **Cause I don’t think that they’d understand...**_

Stein smiles. “Yeah. Of course I remember.”

_**When everything’s made to be broken,** _

_**I just want you to know who I am...** _

_Enter_

Stein had never let anyone enter his heart, but when Spirit came knocking on the door to it, he couldn’t help but let him in.

_Suspend_

“You know, Spirit, you never stopped to ask _why_ Maka was suspended,” Stein says, putting an arm around his husband on the couch. The red-headed weapon still looks dejected, but his eyes brighten when Stein says:

“She was fighting for you.”

_Unknown_

By the fifth month, Stein’s entering unknown territory, and finds himself leaning on Spirit more and more.

When the baby kicks for the first time, Stein’s first reaction is that of fear, because suddenly it’s all too real.

But then, Spirit’s always there to guide him through the unknown, and gently he takes one of Stein’s hands to rest it over the spot where she’s kicked.

“She’s strong, isn’t she?” He says, smiling up at Stein. He manages to smile back.

“Yeah. Strong like her father.”

_Freezing_

“Hey.”

Spirit turns when Stein addresses him. The silver-haired meister holds a heavy jacket in his hands.

“It’s freezing outside. You’ll need this.” Stein walks over and shoves it at Spirit, averting his eyes.

“You’re right.” Spirit takes the jacket from him, then leans over and brushes a few strands of hair from Stein’s eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Stein says.

It’s the first time he hasn’t hesitated before saying it.

_House_

“I want to have her here, in this house,” Stein says, crossing off another day on the calendar. “I hope that’s alright with you.” He says it in a way that tells Spirit he won’t hear anything else on the matter.

“You’re the one having a baby, not me,” Spirit replies, shrugging his shoulders. “It’s whatever you want.”

_Curl_

There’s one small curl of silver hair sticking to Stein’s sweat-soaked forehead, and Spirit tucks it away with care as he strokes Stein’s hand with his own.

“Just hold on a little longer,” Spirit murmurs, leaning in close to Stein’s ear. “I’m right here with you.”

_Staking_

This is the moment they’ve been staking it all on.

Spirit feels the tension leave Stein’s shoulders when the baby cries, and then he puts her on his chest and it’s all over.

They don’t have to say anything.


End file.
